Former Finance Secretary Rajiv Kumar Appointed As New Election Commissioner

Former Finance Secretary Rajiv Kumar has been appointed the Election Commissioner, the Law Ministry said on August 21. Kumar will replace Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa on August 31.

The outgoing Election Commissioner is all set to join the Asian Development Bank as its vice president.

"The President is pleased to appoint Shri Rajiv Kumar... as the Election Commissioner with effect from the date he assumes the office vice Shri Ashok Lavasa, Election Commissioner, who has resigned with effect from August 31, 2020," the Law Ministry said in the notification.

While Sunil Arora is the Chief Election Commissioner, the other Election Commissioner, apart from Ashok Lavasa, is Sushil Chandra.

Kumar is a retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 1984 batch from Jharkhand cadre. He has more than 30 years of experience in public policy and administration in several sectors.

Kumar holds BSc and LLB degrees, along with Master of Public Policy and Sustainability. He was appointed Finance Secretary in July last year, and his tenure ended in February this year.

Kumar was also a part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's plan of financial inclusion, including some flagship schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana and Mudra loan scheme.

After he retired as the Finance Secretary, Kumar was appointed Chairperson of Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) in April early this year.

Also Read: Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa Appointed As Asian Development Bank Vice President